Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1887-02-19
TWO N PER MILE.

he legislature a bill providing that all
.rnnk lines and their branches shall
charge but two cents per mile for each
adult passenger, and all other roads
put three cents. Children twelve years
and under to be charged half rates.
The principles in this bill should be
into law.
Two cents per mile is a sufficient
TO charge for passengers.
The best witnesses hat this is true
are the railroads themselves. They
now carry first class passengers long
distances for less than this rate. A
class ticket from st. Louis to New
York can be bought for from 800 to
1922. Returning, a ticket can be bought
over the Baltimore s. Ohio for SIG 90,
Sc 80 of this going to the P%ennsylva-
MIA for the haul from New York City
to Baltimore, leaving the BE- o. but
$40 from Baltimore to st. Louis. So
in every other direction. rates are free
ly made at from two cents down to
one, and this not as excursion rates,
but as a steady thing.
If a Cunard steamer costing a mil
lion and a half dollars can carry pas
sengers three thousand miles for $40, a
halt a cent a mile, and feed them,
why cannot a railroad carry passen-
gers at two cents per mile when it does
not feed them2
But the u~nanswerable argument why
the state should require the railroads
within it's borders to carry its own
people at two cents is, that the rail-
roads now, of their own v%olition, con-
vey persons through her territory,
from one state to another, for even
less than that sum. Ifthey do this why
should they not much more be required
to transport at that rate the people who
are at the expense OF money, and even
of their lives, to protect their property?
One great compensatory measure
could be enacted with the n here in
review, viz: the abolition Of the free
pass. 1t is supposed that newspapers
enjoy special privileges In that dirsc-
ton. As q rule the newspaper re-
turns a quid pro quo in advertising for
all it gets in that way. If it does not,
it is no more entitled to free transpor-
tation than 1t is to any other valuable
consideration which it has not earned.
But the trouble is not here. 1t lies in
the granting OF passes to national,
state, county and judicial officers, to
mere politicians, to merchants as brides
for business localities, and for q thous-
and-snd-one reasons that multiply the
thing into an immense abuse. Some
body pays the expenses OF the rail-
ways. If one man rides free, another
must pay enough to reimburse the COIL
pany for the transportation of both.
The extent to which this abuse is car
ried may be judged by n circum-
stance. A st. Louis merchant learn
ing that Chicago was sending passes
to merchants in a certain locality COM
planned of it. He was told to furnlsh
proof. He did so, and as a consequence
two hundred passes were issued at
one time to the organization of which
he was a member to bring country
merchants to st. Louis. This was
wrong in every way, yet it indicates
the extent to which the railroads are
compelled to submit to this species of
blackmailing. Let the whole thing be
cut up by the roots, and put everybody
on the same footing. If this were done
the railroads could easily carry passen-
gers at two cents per mile.
This measure Is not hostile to the
railroads. 1t would inure to their ben
eft. In Illinois the average passenger
rate for the past year was two and
eleven-hundreths of a cent per mile.
This reduction would not bring it low
er than that in Missouri. If this aver
age rate has been voluntarily assumed
by the railroads in Illinois (see page
XIII R. s. w. c. report 1850 why
should it not be enacted into law In
Missouri when the whole matter is
under consideration? The reduction
is not hostile to the railroads, because
the great probability is, that it would
increase their revenue from passengers.
1t would so stimulate travel as to fill
many cars now habitually but hall
filed or less, and If accompanied by the
anti-pass clause would certainly inurs
to the benefit of the roads 1t is legis-
lation which may require a good deal
Of courage In resisting the importuni-
ties of the lobby, but it is reasonable
legislation and should be enacted.
THE DIVORCE LAWS OF MISSOURI,